One day, we received a new and strange visitor... well, three in fact. Three young men, around 18-20 years of age knocked on our door, and we welcomed them in. They happened to be Mormon missionaries, and my husband, being the open minded person that he is, was very interested in speaking with them about their faith. Now, we were not planning on accepting the Mormon faith, but we love meeting new and different people, and they certainly were exactly that!
Over the next hour or two, we questioned, inquired and discussed and when they were preparing to leave, I mentioned that I was very interested in speaking to an educated Mormon woman about women's issues in the Mormon church. I have a basic background knowledge of Mormonism after being a pretty huge fan of Big Love, so I'm proud to say, I knew the questions to ask. They told me they'd look into it, and I figured my request would be forgotten as soon as it was asked, and did not think they took me seriously.
Well, after a second visit to discuss with Michael and I, they told me they believed they had found the perfect woman to bring to the next gathering. I was instantly excited about this, and we planned on a dinner at our house to discuss the questions that were plaguing me about their faith and church system.
So the evening of the dinner came, and I had devoted my day to creating the perfect scenario for the dinner so that these new strangers would be as comfortable as possible. When they arrived, we went to answer the door, and I can confidently say that as soon as this woman and I met, it was basically a 'love at first sight' friendship. I haven't connected that quickly with anyone in years, and we quickly jumped into relatively deep conversation that would take most people many meetings to become comfortable with. (Anyone who knows me even just a little knows that I love putting it all out on the table immediately, so if I ever find someone who will do the same, it is VERY refreshing.) I quickly realized that this woman was one of the strongest women I'd had the honor of meeting, and whose faith and marriage was the kind of strength that I dream of building for myself. We had so much in common as people, that our difference in faith really faded into the background, and in fact when we did discuss it, I found it to be different and beautiful- and something that I valued in her!
We have since then found even more that we connected about, and I can say confidently that I think I have found a new friend for life, which I know is so rare today. This new friendship, so open, honest and deep, was built upon differences, openness, understanding and the absence of fear and bigotry. It is a connection of acceptance, and has opened my eyes to the strangeness of religious pride, and fear of the unknown. I have known mainly only Christians in my lifetime, and I have a real bad taste in my mouth from my history with them. I know that this in itself is a form of bigotry, and I am working daily to re-evaluate my thoughts on it.
It does seem, however, that most people of any faith mainly enjoy being around people who are so much like them, that so many have a real fear of those that do not believe what they believe. I have been called out and shamed for having a difference in belief from fellow Christians so many times that, at this point, I have stopped telling people I am a Christian. I just do not want to be thought of as a part of that group, due to my personal experiences of them, and the experiences of others as well.
My fascination and love for difference has opened my eyes to the absolutely strange and curious issue of religious hate, war and crime... why do these issues live on, just because of a difference in faith or lifestyle? It is a story as old as time: People fighting and dying for their faith, and inflicting pain or abuse on others for simply being different. The story, although time tested, is empty, and without reason, and I do believe that the key to 'peace on earth' is not God, but people... if we would all drop our mission to speak out against other beliefs and to open our minds to the beauty of what others hold dear, we may find a true, deep and profound joy in life that is based on truly loving people, and what they believe, no matter how different they may be from us. There is nothing to fear in any other faiths, no matter what our government or church may tell us, and religious intolerance and animosity are the enemies of understanding and peace. We have got to start speaking out when someone mutters about "Muslim bombings", or when someone may talk about a "Mormon or Jehovah's witness being in a cult"... this sort of speak breeds fear, intolerance and ignorance, and although I do believe some people in certain faiths may act in unhealthy ways, that is just people- it has nothing to do with their faith.
Get to know any person behind any faith, and if you really listen to their experiences, truths and humanity, they may just sweep you off your feet. It happened to me, and now I would never wish for a life without her! I'll never pretend to understand why someone would only want people around them who believe what the believe, who think what they think, and who rarely challenge them to grow and see things differently. Especially concerning Christians: this is not what Jesus taught, and it's certainly not how He lived... let's begin welcoming change and evolution of faith that will bring us closer to everyone around us. I believe that the title of this post applies to one simple fact: The Greatest Gift God has given us is our differences, and the growth and beauty that can come from accepting and loving those differences is extraordinary. If you can grasp this concept, I do believe you will find not only some fantastic new friends, but a new love for the things that throughout time have caused war and hate... and this is simply a miracle. One step for our personal happiness, and one giant leap for the peace of mankind.
